Conquest of The Zerg Part Two:
by entilza
Summary: The adventures of Arosoth continue


**Conquest of The Zerg Part Two: Battle For Deron Prime**

Prologue: Darkness, darkness, for as long as he could remember. He was afraid. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw his staff being slaughtered by Zerglings. He saw himself being dragged into the Overlord, then… nothing, just darkness, punctuated by his screams. He had been tortured from the second he had arrived, but he had never seen who or what was doing it.

Suddenly, a noise came from all around him, and a dim green light began to brighten. As he looked around, his eyes burning from the sudden light, he began to make out shapes. He was in a large chamber about fifty feet around, with walls that moved as they breathed, and a large crack in the floor. As he crept closer, the pit opened, and a cerebrete emerged. He recognized it. "What do you want!" he asked.

"I wanted to see if you were completely insane or if you still had your wits. So, how do you find your accommodations?" Arosoth asked.

"When you can't see, any accommodation seems terrible," the man responded.

"Well, let's get on with it shall we. You are going to tell me everything you know about the Terran military."

"If you think time in the dark will break ME, you're sadly mistaken."

"Well then, let's see how long you hold up under my direct "care." With that, tentacles reached out from the walls and ensnared the captive. He screamed as they pierced his skin and pumped liquid into his veins. Arosoth stood by and waited for him to break. This would be an enjoyable day; of that much he was sure.

Five months later: It had been six months since Arosoth's victory on Bronit. Since then, he had transferred his command to Bronit and began its total assimilation into the swarm. He had been receiving continuous assignments from Kerrigen. Most of them were small. A convoy here, an outpost there. Mostly he was required only to provide resources and some warriors. He had used the reprieve to strengthen his army. Now his Brood was twice as strong as it had been six months ago. He was now awaiting a call from Kerrigen concerning his next task.

"Greetings my Supreme Cerebrete. I trust you are enjoying the lack of combat lately?" Kerrigen tried to suppress the sarcasm in her voice without much success.

"It has been relaxing my Queen. However I believe I am ready to get back into the fighting," Arosoth replied.

"Good, because I have a new task for you. Your impressive victory on Bronit denied the Terrans a massive amount of minerals. They have drastically reduced their raids into our territory. Instead they are constructing a defense net around our space. I think we should send them a message that we cannot be contained."

"I agree my Queen. What task do you have for me?" Arosoth pondered what this task would bring. Perhaps a friend for the General he had captured six months ago.

"I have determined the planet the Terrans are using as their primary supply post for this project. You are to take the planet in my name. If possible, capture any engineers for…interrogation. I trust this will not be difficult for you?"

"I will depart within a few days my Queen, Arosoth out."

As Arosoth's fleet of Behemoths left Bronit behind, Arosoth studied the tactical hologram in front of him. It contained all the information the Zerg had on Deron Prime. The planet was the third from its sun, with a mostly desert-like surface. Near the poles there were forests and a large sea near the southern pole. The defense network was spread across the planet. It consisted of a number of massive of orbital and ground based missile launchers, as well as Yamato cannons and laser emplacements. There was also a sizable defensive fleet in orbit. There was no way Arosoth could get to the surface undetected. The defense grid could eliminate his entire Brood before they landed. But Arosoth would find a way, he always did.

The noise was deafening. If it wasn't for the soundproof mesh in his cockpit, Hank would have been deaf in a second. Hundreds of SCV's and other construction vehicles swarmed around. Supplies were coming and going so fast, C&C could hardly keep up. The defense grid was the highest priority right now for the Dominion. When it was finished, it would trap the Zerg behind it for a long time. By the time they broke through the Terrans would be ready for them. The Zerg would suffer massive losses taking the defense worlds while the Terrans stood by and built. Finally, the Terrans would have a chance to stop and catch their breath. This defense project was the last hope for the Dominion. It had to succeed. "Team one five three report," came a voice from the primary C&C complex.

"Comm. Dish operational, sensors online in one hour," came the reply from the head SCV. The comm. Dish was one of the most complex parts to defense system. It coordinated the various defensive emplacements on and around the planet. It also maintained the link with the other defense system sites under construction. Now that it was completed, the workers could have their TV back. That was a sure boost for morale.

Meanwhile, in the outer fringes of the system, Arosoth conferred with Kerrigen about what he should do. "Their orbital defenses would tear any assault I launched to pieces within minutes my Queen. How do you suggest I proceed?"

"Their defenses are heavier then I thought. I am sending part of my brood to aid you Cerebrete. They will create a distraction while your forces make planet fall. Then, it will be up to you are destroy any resistance to your assault. Do not fail me Cerebrete." With that, she was gone. Now that he was getting reinforcements, Arosoth formed a new plan that would get him what he wanted.

Three days later, Kerrigen's forces arrived. More than enough to create a sizable distraction. As the Zerg moved in system, Arosoth began forming a ground assault plan.

Suddenly, alarms were raised all over the complex. "Alert, Zerg swarm detected approaching the planet. All batteries prepare to fire." With that, massive cannons rose from the ground and powered up. Blinding flashes of light white sailed up into space. Missiles followed a few moments later.

Arosoth saw the barrage of fire from the planet savage the diversionary force. Each laser incinerated dozens of minions. The missiles were no less deadly, blowing apart whole wings of Mutalisks and Devourers. As the slaughter continued, Arosoth's brood headed for the opposite side of the planet. They made planet fall easily. With all the Terrans focused of the diversion, no one noticed a sole flicker on the radar.

"All right men, let's blast some Zerg!" Said Flight Leader five. They immediately cloaked and headed for a cluster of Devourers assaulting one of the orbital defense stations. Lasers and Gemini missiles were shredding one after another, but there were too many of them. Acid Spores dissolved the orbital engines and weapon mounts, and the station began plummeting into the atmosphere. As soon as the fighters and capital ships entered the battle however, the tide turned. Yamato blasts from two of the Battle Cruisers dissolved an entire wing of Mutalisks. Devourers and Wraiths slugged it out, but the Wraiths had the advantage of being able to cloak. Scourges rammed the lead Battle Cruiser, the Shining Valor. Its Yamato Gun exploded, and took the rest of the ship with it. As the wreck sunk into the atmosphere, the rest of the Zerg were obliterated in a wave of firepower.

"Orbital Command report," ordered Admiral Corter. He had been directing the battle against the Zerg in orbit.

"One defense station destroyed, two damaged. Two Battle Cruisers and thirty Wraiths destroyed sir," came the reply.

"Assign damage repair teams, and get to work rebuilding the destroyed station. If another Zerg wave comes I want to be ready." He would not let even one Zerg land on this planet.

As Arosoth's brood prepared to land, Mutalisks were sent to make a wide reconnaissance of the surrounding area. It appeared this area was still in the early stages of construction of the defense grid. None of the weapons or sensors were online. This would make a perfect location for the construction of his primary hive cluster. As his drones began morphing into structures, he sent most of his warriors on a mission to destroy the nearest Terran base and take control of their resources.

"All squads have reported in sir. No Zerg activity within three klicks," reported the comm. officer for outpost 102. They were out here to mine resources and make sure no Zerg tried to make planet fall where the planetary sensors were offline.

"Very good, bring in the night shift, let's get some sleep. God knows nothing's going to happen way out here." As the shift changed, a burrower relayed the defenses of the outpost to Arosoth. The base was small, only a Command Center, a Barracks, and a few supply depots. It would be a simple matter to take the base before a distress signal was sent out.

Arosoth's first base was coming along nicely. Three Hatcheries clustered in the center, producing minions for the coming battle. A Spawning Pool, Evolution Chamber and Hydralisk Den provided the necessary genetic information for the construction of basic minions. With the Zerg now on the planet, Arosoth was ready to begin the second phase of his plan.

"All right men, let's pack it in," ordered Sgt. Howard of the security detail for this sorry outpost. He would rather be fighting the Zerg right now than babysitting a remote mineral site. Little did he know he would soon get his wish.

All around the hive cluster, the Zerg moved. They slithered through the bushes and flew on the night breeze. Then, as one, they broke off and headed off into the night to do the bidding of their master.

The Marines and Firebats of the night watch were bored out of their minds. Their playing cards had been taken away the night before. Now all there was to do was watch the moons slide across the sky. Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes. No one paid any attention. Their mistake. A barrage of needle spines skewered the closest five Marines. As one, the three Firebats in the patrol crisped the Hydralisks with their flamethrowers. Then, Zerglings swept down a hill and surprised them. Their fuel tanks were punctured, and the resulting explosions killed the remaining members of the patrol. Then, the other patrols in the sector were also destroyed. Their first task accomplished, the main Zerg force began to converge on the base. Inside, the officers were going crazy.

"How did so many Zerg get on the planet?" asked the Commander. He had heard of the large battle in orbit, but he was told all the attacking Zerg were destroyed. He'd told C&C to put more effort on sensors than weapons. Now they were paying the price.

"I don't know sir. But we'll have a chance to find out in about ten minutes. Zerg are heading our way," said the sensor operator. They both knew this base would never survive a Zerg attack this size.

"Send a message to Command and let them know that Zerg have landed on the planet."

"I can't establish a link to the satellite. It must have been destroyed when these Zerg made planet fall. Without an orbital link sir, there's no way to send a message."

"Then prepare the troops, we're going to have to make our stand here."

As Arosoth watched his attack through the eyes of his minions, he knew that this Terran base would fall in minutes. It was only a small sensor post, not even designed for combat. He ordered a Zergling assault first, fallowed by a Hydralisk wave. That would be more than enough to overwhelm a base twice this size. He wondered if he would find any Techs there.

The Marines in the defense bunkers were prepared for the Zerg, but they were also scared. They knew that there was almost no chance any of them would survive the battle ahead. So they were playing one last round of cards. Just when one of them was about to win, a needle spine poked a hole through his Ace of Spades. "Grab your guns, man the barricades," shouted the Lt. At once, the Marines grabbed their Gauss Rifles and Firebats heated up their Flamethrowers. A wave of Zerglings crested the hill and were met by a wall of steel spikes as thirty Marines opened fire. As the Zerglings closed, the Firebats opened up and cooked them. But there were just too many of them. A dozen of them reached the Bunkers, and the defenders got a nasty surprise. The Zerglings exploded with the force of Infested Terrans. Five of the six bunkers were blown to bits by the force. As the defenders climbed out of the wreckage, they were swallowed up in a wave of Zerglings. As the last Marine fell under the Zerglings claws, the Zerg moved into the base itself. The few remaining defenders were swept away. As the structures were destroyed, the Command Center was left alone. Arosoth wanted to capture the command staff. They might posses information that could benefit the Swarm. Arosoth sent his personal guard to storm the center.

"Sir, Zerg are coming through the South Lock," reported the security officer. The cameras showed Zerglings and Hydralisks pouring thought the passageway. Some of them looked strange.

"Send every Marine we've got left to stop those Zerg until we can lift off," ordered the Colonel.

Five Marines waited nervously as the door buckled in front of them. "All right boys, remember, short, controlled bursts. Lock and load." The door was suddenly cut in two as a massive claw cut through it. Three Zerglings leapt through. Two were cut down in as many seconds, but the third seemed almost immune to the rifle spikes. It reached the Marines and cut two down before the spikes finally felled it.

"What was that?" asked one of the survivors.

"I think it's one of those Sythlings, but their only supposed to protect the Cerebrates. What's one of them doing here?" Then, the Marines heard the distinctive hiss of Hydralisks. They all knew there was probably a mutant among them too.

"Take cover," one of the Marines shouted as Needle Spines shredded everything they touched. The Marine who had shouted took cover behind a steel plate, but was skewered as huge spines passed through the plate as if it were paper. The mutant Hydralisk, commonly called a Nemesis Hydralisk, quickly slaughtered the other two Marines before they could move. Then, the Zerg headed for the command deck.

"Sir, security has been neutralized," reported the Security officer. "The Zerg are headed for Command and Control. What should we do sir?"

"Load your weapons, we'll have to stop these Zerg ourselves. Heat up the engines; I want to at least be in the air when we die." There was no time however. Even as he spoke, the door to the room was buckling. As it tore open, the officers fired their Needle Pistols. Two Hydralisks were felled by single shots, but the spikes just bounced off the other two. They sliced through the officers' pistol arms, then pinned them against the wall through their shoulders. Then, small, centipede like Zerg began weaving cocoons around the humans. Within seconds, they were in stasis, and taken to Arosoth's hive. The Command Center was infested and brought along as well. Then, Drones began the formation of a new Hive Cluster.

When the strike force reached Arosoth's primary Hive Cluster, the captives were dumped into a chamber deep in the Hive. Strands of Creep secured them to the walls. In a few hours, the cocoons melted and the captives regained consciousness. "Were are we Lt." asked one of the prisoners.

"Judging by the stench, I'd guess were in a Zerg Hive," he replied.

"I didn't think the Zerg took prisoners."

"That's what I thought too. I did hear a rumor six months ago. It was during the evacuation of Bronit after it fell to the Zerg. A Wraith pilot said that the Zerg had infested every Command Center on the planet. At the last one though, he saw Zerg entering it, and just as he went out of range, he thought he saw someone being dragged out."

"I wonder what happened to him."

"You will find out soon enough," said a voice from a pit in the floor. As the prisoners watched, a Cerebrete appeared from the pit. "I am Arosoth, Chief Cerebrete of the Zerg, conqueror of Bronit and soon of this world."

"Why did you take us captive? I thought the Zerg never took prisoners," said the Lt.

"Well, it's become sort of a hobby for me. I enjoy taking prisoners and seeing how long they can survive. It's quite enjoyable really."

"You bastard!"

"Please, don't tell me that's the best you can come up with. I've heard far worse. Especially from someone you might know." With that, Arosoth made a twitching motion, and a part of the wall opened up, and a man fell out. He wore the tatters of a military uniform, but it was shredded and stained with creep. His face showed signs of the horrific torture he had endured, and his eyes were almost dead. He must have suffered torture beyond anything any of the other men had ever seen. "Now he can come up with some very good curses. He hasn't talked in a while however. Tell them who you are," Arosoth ordered.

"I am General Ordolt, former commander of mining operations on planet Bronit." As he spoke, there was a tiny spark in his eyes, if only for a moment. He seemed to be reliving his life. Then his eyed darkened again. He became little more than a statue.

"Well, what do you think of my first captive?" asked Arosoth. If he had possessed a mouth he would have been smiling. "It was because of him that I developed my interest in taking prisoners."

"Why do you get such pleasure from torturing helpless people you scum sucking slime ball!"

"That was better. Perhaps once I begin torturing you, you'll develop my other captives' ability for creative cursing." With that, Arosoth slithered back down the tunnel he came out of. The General stayed where he was, he just fell down.

"Are you all right sir?" The General didn't move. He just lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling. They kept shouting at him, and finally he moved.

"Why are you shouting at me?" he said as he sat up.

"Can you help us escape from the place?"

"I cannot do that. That would displease my master."

"Why is that so important?"

"No one displeases the master and lives." Once again his eyes glossed over as he relived a forgotten memory. Then a Hydralisk entered, and the General left with it.

With the recent loss of communication from most of the Eastern grid, the Admiral was now certain that there were Zerg on the planet. "We need a plan," he said simply. "We were planning on a space attack, not a ground engagement. We have enough troops to defend the primary supply sites, but the Zerg will strike at them when they use the resources they gain. Any ideas on stopping them?"

"We could try reprogramming the defense platforms to attack ground targets," suggested a Captain.

"That would leave us vulnerable to a Zerg space attack. We can't take that risk. Any other suggestions?"

"Let's just take the fight to the Zerg. Send our army to destroy them all," a Lieutenant asked.

"That's exactly how the Zerg won the battle on Bronit. They tried to attack the Zerg, but the Zerg attacked their base and destroyed it. Besides, we can't leave the construction sites undefended."

"Then why don't we just call for reinforcements."

"That's the best idea I've heard all day. Let's do it."

As the meeting was going on, Arosoth was planning his attack on the primary supply/construction site. There was a significant military force guarding it, and his Burrowers showed that construction of the long range communications dish was nearly done. He would have to strike before then, or the Terrans would call for reinforcements. He decided to convince his new prisoners to help him. This would be fun.

It had been days since the captives had seen any Zerg. All there was to keep them company was the sound of the creed quivering and moving. Most of them were asleep. The Lt. was awake, trying to come up with a plan to get them out of here. Suddenly, there was a slithering noise, and Arosoth appeared out of the pit in the floor.

"Well, now who's ready to tell me about your main base?" The captives turned their heads away.

"I'd think three days of confinement would have loosened your tongs. Maybe I should just do it myself. I'd like to introduce you to a personal friend of mine." With that, a thing that looked like a Defieler crossed with a nightmare entered through the pit. It gave a hiss, then waited.

"What the hell is that thing?" Asked the Lt.

"This is my personal torturer. I created him by crossing a Defieler and a host of other DNA traits. He so enjoys bringing his victims to the brink of death. He also has several other special abilities that you may find "enjoyable." Now, do you feel like talking?"

"We'll never surrender any information to a bastard like you!"

"Very well then. I think you'll change your mind once you get a taste of my torture abilities." Arosoth then disappeared into the floor pit. The mutant beast then moved toward the captives.

"Do your worst," said the Lt., and sit in the creature's face. It reared back, and then sunk a claw into the Lt's belly. He screamed out in pain as liquid poured into his body. When the creature withdrew its claw, it was red with blood and a thick mucus-like substance that sealed the wound. The pain, however, remained and intensified.

"Feel like talking now?" the creature asked in a hissy voice.

"You can talk," the Lt. said through gritted teeth.

"I'm a professional torturer, I require sentience, and a bad temper," it hissed back.

"You'll never get us to talk."

"Oh, I think I will," as it spoke, a grim smile spread across its face. It injected the same liquid into the others. "How long can you watch your men suffer I wonder. Only I can give the antidote to my poison. Call when you're ready to talk." With that, it disappeared into the floor pit.

Two days later, the Lt. broke. The torturer delivered the news to Arosoth. "I knew that they would break. Humans place too much emphasis of the well being of those beneath them. It has always been their greatest weakness. Now that we have their defense plans, we can strike and destroy their supply base. Ready the forces. We move out in three hours." With that, Arosoth directed his Brood to board the Overlords and head for the Terran base, he would follow soon. He would preside over his victory, and see how many captives he could take this time. He truly hoped he would be able to find a companion for his General.

"Sir, we have a massive Zerg signal about fifty klicks out. Closing fast," reported the sensor operator.

"Send the first defense wave. They should break up the Zerg. Then send in a group of Ghosts to mop up the rest," ordered the Admiral. The Zerg had just made their biggest mistake yet. With the huge army at his disposal, he could defeat theses Zerg. It wouldn't be easy, but he would do it.

The sky above the Zerg Overlords darkened, such was their number. Zerglings and Hydralisks rode in the Overlords, and air units fluttered over the Desert. Arosoth, a few minutes behind the assault, watched the huge construction site slowly grow on the horizon. The Terran defenders should be arriving any time now. Sure enough, a massive wave of Wraiths, followed by slower heavy Battle Cruisers approached the Zerg strike force. The Zerg air units raced to meet them. This battle would decide the future of the assault.

"All ships stand by to engage the enemy. Power lasers and charge Yamato guns," ordered Captain Charle. He was Commander of the Terran air defense forces. He watched his Wraiths cloak and engage the Zerg. He ordered his Battle Cruisers to aim for the Zerg Overlords. They could detect the Wraiths, but this fight would leave the Terrans victorious.

As the two forces met, the air between them was replaced with acid and metal as the two groups opened up on each other. Mutalisks, Devourers and Scourges fought back against Terran Wraiths and Battle Cruisers. Scourges concentrated on ramming the Battle Cruisers. Their Yamato Guns needed to be silenced. They were already inflicting heavy Overlord casualties. As the Wraiths doubled back to protect their capital ships, Devourers used their Acid Spores to identify the Wraiths positions. Their acid stuck on impact, and splattered onto others. As Scourges saw the acid, they wiped out Wraith after Wraith.

Captain Charle watched as his force was decimated by the Zerg. "Retreat, all forces fall back to base," he ordered. He had to get out of here before his entire force was crushed by the Zerg. As they retreated, the Zerg kept at them. Lasers and Gemini Missiles blasted them, but there were too many. Wraiths fell every second. Here and there a Cruiser went down if flames. Less than half the fleet made it back to base.

"Sir, the first defense line has been shattered. 59 of the air fleet has been destroyed. Should we send out another wave or prepare defenses," asked the Comm. Officer.

"Prepare the defenses. We'll make our stand here. Get ready men, the final battle's about to begin."

The first wave of the Zerg army pounded toward the base. It was composed mainly of Zerglings and Hydralisks. They bounded toward the Terran line. As soon as they were in range, Terran weapons started ripping them to shreds. They didn't so much as falter. They finally reached the line of Terran troops and vehicles. Hydralisks slashed and needled Marines and Firebats to death. Zerglings aimed for clusters of Terrans and self-detonated. Within minutes, the Terrans had destroyed the Zerg, but only a handful of troops remained. The second, identical wave swallowed them up.

"Sir, the first defense line has been breached. Second line moving into place now."

Siege Tanks and Goliaths moved into recently constructed pillboxes, while infantry ran into Bunkers. They had all seen the fist line fall. Now it was their turn to try and turn the Zerg back. The heavy support of the Siege Tanks Shock Cannons would hopefully help. The Zerg had actually demonstrated a fear of Shock Cannons.

"All right men, let's give the Zerg something be afraid of. Arm your weapons. Siege Tanks deploy."

Arosoth watched the battle from the rear of the main Zerg strike force. The loss of his first wave was of no consequence. Zerg minions existed to be sacrificed. Now that he was on the verge of breaking through, he decided to send in his second wave. This one was still composed mainly of Zerglings and Hydralisks, but also had a sizable number of Defilers and Ultralisks. They would provide cover for the swarms, and the Ultralisks would either draw most of the fire of rip apart the Terrans in close quarters.

As the second wave approached the Terran lines, Siege shells began ripping them to pieces. Defielers countered by casting Dark Swarm attacks. The Siege shells now did no damage, the swarms were safe until the Swarm dissipated. "Firebats, move in!" shouted the Colonel in charge of the line. They all knew that only Firebats could penetrate the Dark Swarm attacks of Defielers. The Firebats never made it however. Needle Spines from the Hydralisks moved them down. Too late, the Terrans realized that it was a trap. Now, waves of Zerglings raced out from under the Dark Swarms and toward the Terran line. The first group exploded as soon as they got in range. The rest began attacking. Lacking the spread fire of flamethrowers, the Zergling survived long enough to inflict massive casualties upon the Terrans.

"Second wave, report," ordered Admiral Ashon.

"No response sir. From what our satellites in orbit are telling us, it looks like the second wave has been overrun."

"All right then, it looks like we're going to have to make our last stand here. Bring the Missile Turrets online. Get our remaining troops into defensive positions."

All around the complex, soldiers and vehicles ran and rolled into defensive lines. If this base fell, the defense grid project would be in serious trouble.

At the rear of the Zerg attack force, Arosoth directed his minions in the final assault on the Terran base. Their numbers were insufficient to stop Arosoth's assault even if it was properly orchestrated. He ordered his heavy minions to make a frontal attack. That would both inflict losses and occupy them. He sent all of his Zerglings in another direction.

"Sir, we've got a massive wave of Ultralisks, Hydralisks and Guardians moving in on the front line," reported the combat coordinator.

"Well, since their using ground and air attack units, keep back the remains of our air fleet. That cerebrete is going to regret not having any aerial assault minions this battle" proclaimed the Admiral.

As the Zerg minions reached the Terran lines, they and their enemies' battles with everything they had. As Siege tanks blasted the Ultralisks, Marines poured fie into lumbering Guardians whose Acid Spores split Bunkers and Siege Tank pillboxes open like ripe fruit. Gradually, the Zerg were beaten back by the coordination and teamwork of the Terrans. They supported each other, taking turns firing and reloading. As they celebrated, Arosoth launched the second wave of his attack.

It was relatively quiet on the rear line. All the Zerg were attacking on the opposite side of the base. There was nothing to do but watch and wait for their shift to be over. Suddenly, their scanners went crazy. "Jake, stop messing with the scanners," ordered the Colonel from under his helmet. Jake was the clown of the group. He was always making the troops jump. This time, they just ignored him. Their mistake. Hundreds of Zerglings pounced on the Terran soldiers and quickly overran them. More and more Zerglings poured through the gap. Just then, Battle cruisers and Wraiths raced in and opened fire, shredding the Zerg. Without air support, the Zerg didn't stand a chance. Just then, however, a fleet of Scourges that had been hiding in a cave raced out and began obliterating the air force. The Terrans hadn't been expecting an air assault.

"Captain, I'm picking up Scourge closing on us."

"What, but C&C said there were no Zerg air units in this area. Return fire." Just as he finished his sentence, a Scourge rammed the bridge. The Captain was vaporized along with the forward section of his ship. As it hit the ground, the remainder of the fleet lost heart and began to retreat, but this time none of them made it back. The Zerglings could now continue their attack. They unburrowed and raced toward the heart of the construction site.

"Admiral, the air fleet was just destroyed by a group of Scourges that apparently hid themselves from our scanners."

"What! How could our sensors have missed that many Zerg!"

"They must have been hiding in the caverns. What should we do now sir?"

"Send our reserves to contain those Zerglings, and reinforce the forward line."

"Yes sir, sending reserves now."

As the last of the Terran army was sent into battle, the Zerg committed their next wave, this one composed mainly of Hydralisks and Mutalisks. They rushed forward, heedless of any losses. They smashed through the now thin front lines and reached the reinforcements just as they entered their Bunkers. They quickly overwhelmed them. With the defensive army crushed, the Zerg then smashed the Missile Turrets that defended the air. With them gone, the Overlords could now move in the mop up the few Wraiths with their echolocation. Then, the Zerg smashed the power generator for the Comm. Dish, and stopped. They remained still, as if waiting for orders.

Just then, a large group of Overlords reached the base and deposited Defielers. They swiftly plagued the Command Centers and Queens prepared to infest them. Suddenly, they stopped, and Zerglings entered then Centers. They went strait to the command dome and captured all those present. The last Center proved to be more difficult however. It was constructed to repel Plague venom. So Arosoth sent his elite guard to take it from the inside.

"Sir, the other Centers are being infested, but our hull is protecting us from their attacks. They can't damage the Center enough to infest it. Wait, their coming in. Their headed towards Command and Control. What do we do sir?" Asked the CO.

"Load your weapons. We're going to stop them ourselves. If we die, then we die as humans. Let's go," ordered the Admiral. The command staff grabbed their personal weapons and headed to meet the security forces.

The Nemesis Hydralisks and Sythlings of Arosoths' personal guard swiftly headed for the command deck, where the officers Arosoth wanted were to be found. Suddenly, one of the Sythlings dropped as ten high yield needles passed through its dense armor carapace. The Nemesis Hydralisks returned fire, careful to aim for arms and legs. Three of the Terrans fell in the struggle, and the Zerg advanced. Seven of the Terrans were taken prisoner. The other three ran, with the Zerg right behind them.

The three Terrans who escaped took shelter in the Command Dome. "What do we do now sir?" asked one of the survivors. He was a young recruit, no older than twenty.

"I don't know. I didn't think the Cerebrete would send his personal guard to attack us. We should try to engage the self-destruct. At least we'll take a lot of Zerg with us." The others nodded their heads. They knew there was no way they would escape the base. They headed for the Central Core.

Arosoth was pleased. The base was his, and he had captured a sizable amount of Terran officers. He had also managed to capture most of the base intact. That would certainly please Kerrigen. There was only one more thing left to do. Find the three officers who had so far eluded him.

Admiral Ashon and his two surviving guards had almost made it to the Central Core when they were cornered by three Nemesis Hydralisks. Their Needle Pistols prevented the Zerg from closing, but they had a limited ammo supply. The Zerg didn't. They managed to kill one Hydralisk, but the other two moved too quickly. The Hydralisks sliced through their guns, and the arm of one of the guards. They were taken outside where they saw what remained of their base. Quite a lot actually. The Zerg had apparently wanted the base intact. The only damage was to the Missile Turrets and a few other structures. As they looked around, a single Overlord drifted toward them. It deposited three Hydralisks and a cerebrete that approached them. "Greetings Terrans. I am Arosoth. Conqueror of Terrans. How do you like the way I treated your base?"

"I'll admit I am surprised. Why did you do such little damage to the base, and why did you go to the trouble of capturing us?"

"I was instructed by Kerrigen to capture any Terran techs I could. They will provide the Zerg with the means to stop this defense project of yours. As for the base itself, I intend to absorb it, and use it against your people when they come to retake this planet. I can just imagine their surprise when I use their own defenses destroy them."

"Terrans would never give any information to the Zerg. Not even how ugly they think they are." In response to that, one of the Hydralisks twisted its scythe claw in the Admirals' shoulder, drawing a scream of pain.

"Stop. This Terran is showing a creative cursing talent."

"A what?" asked the Admiral, wondering why a Cerebrete would show interest in a curse.

"I enjoy hearing the best curses my prisoners can come up with. You I think will be very creative. Take them back to the Hive Cluster. I will deal with them later" commanded Arosoth. With that, Overlords began gathering up the Terrans and transporting them to Arosoths' Hive.

Arosoth was very pleased. He had managed to capture over a hundred techs and thirty officers. He was now waiting for Kerrigen to contact him. His Bio-Holotank began to glow as it picked up a transmission. Kerrigen appeared in the center.

"What is your progress my Cerebrete," asked Kerrigen.

"My queen, Deron Prime is ours. There are still a few pockets of resistance, but they will soon be crushed. I have captures many techs. I have also taken most of the defense grid intact. We will be able to use it as soon as my torturers break the Terrans techs."

"Excellent work Arosoth, you have pleased me. I will arrive within a week to inspect your progress."

"I shall be ready my Queen." As Kerrigen closed the channel, Arosoth allowed himself a small tinge of pleasure. This was definitely one of his greatest accomplishments. Now he directed his Brood to search for the last few Terrans who still fought against him. While that was underway, he began Deron's assimilation into the Swarm. When Kerrigen arrived, Arosoth had no doubt she would be very pleased.

A week later, Kerrigen arrived. She was indeed very pleased with Arosoths' work. "I am surprised you were able to take the base with so little damage my Cerebrete."

"It was fairly easy my Queen. They were so disorganized with their defense that I could have most likely taken some of the defenders alive. However, I was more concerned with stopping them from sending a distress call."

"You made a wise decision Cerebrete. Now, take me to your Hive. I wish to see the prisoners."

"Very well, fallow me my Queen." Hours later, they landed at Arosoths' primary Hive Cluster. They descended to the prisoner level. The captives all let out a collective gasp when they saw Kerrigen.

"Oh my God, it's the Queen of Blades herself. Why are you here?" asked the Admiral.

"To get the information I want. If you're thinking of resisting, I wouldn't recommend it. I can produce far worse tortures than you can imagine. Now, do you feel like talking?" The Terrans turned their heads away.

"Very well, take this," with that, Kerrigen stabbed the closest officer in the belly. His screams echoed through the entire Hive. "Feel like talking now?" Asked Kerrigen.

"All right, all right I'll talk!" Three hours later, Kerrigen and Arosoth had all the information they needed to plan an assault of the entire defense grid.

"Cerebrete, you will strike this sector, other broods will deal with the others."

"It shall be done my Queen," and with that, Arosoth began making plans for his next conquest.

Epilogue: In the four months since Arosoth had conquered Deron, he had used the Terrans he had captured to finish the defense grid. He had then enhanced it with Zerg components. Within a week, the defense grid would be ready to repel the coming Terran invasion. He'd allowed one of the Terran techs to send a distress call to Terran High Command. He wanted to test the power of "his" defense grid. The Terrans would arrive the day after his defenses went on-line. He was looking forward to the coming battle.

Darkness, everywhere. There were other people there, but you could not see them. They eventually stopped moving and started talking.

This pleased Arosoth. He wondered how long it would take this group to break. Perhaps he should make a wager with Kerrigen…..


End file.
